Rat Care

[abbicus]

We have a glass aqaurium, and then there is a second level that fits on top of that. Once yop set it on top of the aqaurium, there is a ramp that flops down into it so the rats can climb from the aquarium floor to the wire cage.

It is made of wire, so the little ramps and floors are places Poppy could get her feet stuck in now that she can't grip.

What I'm planning to do is to sew fabric across the wire parts they can walk on. I could just put towels in, but SP llikes to tunnel through towels and would probably move them and expose the wire.


If you can manage to put in a low level ramp I would definately give that a try. Poppy was getting pretty frantic (and SP was getting stressed dealing with that level of crazy). They both calmed down quite a bit once we stuck in another level. Its only about 4 inches above the floor so it also makes the part below it a fun little cave too. I think levels make the space a lot more interesting.

[lamb]

ohhhh you have a cage topper- I feel dumb. And good for you, your girls (again and STILL) are so lucky to have you! Fabric sounds like a good idea, maybe if you needed added stability you could strap on a chunk of cardboard? They'd chew the edges, but it could still help a little.

I totally aree on the level, even if it's only 3 inches I think he'll love the hidey hole.

Just stopped here on my way off the comp after I finished my econ assigment, am skipping off to go modify the crochety old man cage now!

[abbicus]

Yeah, sorry, I probably could have explained that better.

Thank you for the cardboard idea. That might have been easier than sewing fabric onto the floors. We actually decided to just drive down to my in-laws for the day. It sort of sucks because I have to drive there Thrusday morning, cook dinner, and then come back, but I really didn't feel comfortable having Poppy travel. That cage just really isn't sick rat-friendly, and even with the modifications, I didn't want to stress her out by traveling when she's just getting over a myco infection on top of everything. Luckily its only a 1.5 hour drive, so its not too bad. I think I would spend too much time worrying about Poppy if we spent a few days there and took them with.

I was at work talking to my husband during a break. He was telling me SP was doing the "shove the head under the metal pan" thing again, and in the middle of the rat update, I hear a *BONK* sound. Which for me to have heard through the phone must have been pretty loud. Apparently she succeeded in lifting the pan so far up that it stood upright for few moments before falling back down. Right on top of her. She jerked her head out and stood, looking around quickly in that tense/scared something's-gonna-eat-me position before running off. Sillly rat.

Poppy wandered around like usual. We have lots of bags and things on the floor that she can crawl inside so she has things to expore that don't involve climbing. The bald patch on her face seems to be healing, but she is still as puffy and hunched up as before. I'm not really sure what to think of the situation at this point. She is still trying to keep her happy disposition, even though you can tell she's having trouble. I guess that's the best we can hope for at this point.

Last night we took SP out of the cage and let her go in our bedroom to start letting her branch out and get a little more brave. She was afraid to get off the bed for a few minutes, but then finally decided to explore. On the bed, she wasn't terrified, just nervous and unsure. It was kind of cute becuase you could see the wheels turning working out the situation. Getting a piece of an oatmeal craisin cookie helped.

I hope Indie enjoys his extra level!!!

[Dugan]

[Miso Vegan]

[lamb]

awww cute hammie

How is Poppy doing? I was thinking about her the other day as I was watching Indie hobble around. He got a bath which he did NOT approve of, but he looks a lot more fluffy and a lot less greasy now.

More on the biting thing, it's funny that when I open the cage door he'll hobble over and look up and out with his hands on the railing, and although he doesn't bite me, he HAS to put his teeth on me. I can see them coming out of his open mouth like daggers but he just "checks" me each time, not biting. It's weird, like he doesn't trust his sense of smell anymore or like I'm getting a warning like "don't try none of that funny business this time."

[abbicus]

Yeah, baths are no fun. The last time one got a bath it was Sweet Pea. She looked so sad and pathetic and shook afterwards we haven't repeated it. They just get a wipe down with a towel when needed. Lucky for them, they're girl ratties and therefore aren't so greasy.

Indie's 'bite' thing is really strange. It could be either of the things you mentioned. I guess just be thankful that whatever it is, he's decided to show restraint!!!

Poppy was doing the same (not getting better, but not crashing) until this morning. My husband tried to give her her meds and she kind of bit at it and flopped back in the tent. He took her to the vet and she got another antibiotic injection, and a pain med injection. Usually she is good about getting shots, but she did not like it this time and squeaked. That made me bummed out, but apparently it was a protest squeak and not a "Sweet Pea' squeak (SP was in the closet on top of the travel cage a long time ago and I went to get her to put her back in the big cage and as I picked her up she let out the saddest squeak ever; a completely resigned, scared little noise. This is a "sweet pea" squeak). We put her back in the cage after the vet visit instead of having her snooze because she was really stressed and we wanted her to be somewhere familiar and relaxed.

At this point she is still with us, and even was moving around a bit and nibbling a little baby food (apple blueberry), but I don't know if she is going to make it. At this point I don't know if I even want her to. It doesn't seem the big health issue is going away, and so her immune system is just wide open to the myco now. It doesn't seem like she is able to properly fight the infection. She finished her antibiotic course and apparently that was the only thing keeping it at bay. When she bounced back so brillantly from the myco the first time, I felt hopeful. Sure, she was in pain and couldn't move like she used to, but she would still explore when let out and crawl in bags and eat secret rat things she had hidden during previous exeditions.
She is being a very tough little cookie but it might be better for her if she would just let go. As long as she wants to fight we are going to let her, but its just really hard to watch.

I was a little dissapointed (for lack of a better word; its not like I'm really upset at her or anything) with SP becuase she found that the leg of an old pair of my pajama pants made a really nice burrow (if you rumage around in the room long enough you eventually see a nose and a glint of eyes sticking out, watching you) so she spent a lot of time in that instead of with Poppy. She did snuggle with her a little bit, which was nice, but I was still thinking, "Sweet Pea, you have the rest of your life to burrow in my pants! What the heck?! Be nice to Poppy-rat".

[lamb]

{{{{{{{abbicus}}}}}}}

I'm really sorry to hear about your predicament, it's understandable to feel both ways, that you want to keep them around forever but at the same time you don't want them to stick around and be uncomfortable. It's so terribly hard. I hope you realize that you really are giving her the best life possible, with the scritches and treats and living quarters- she's a lucky rattie.

p.s. it was the same with Indie- he'd be out bee-bopping around the living room while Hobbes chilled in a blanket in the corner of the room when he couldn't get around so good. It's hard not to want them to think like people and be comforting.

[Miso Vegan]

I'm sorry to hear that Poppy's not improving.



And, boy rats are greasier than girl rats?

[lamb]

yea, I can't remember if it's the hormones or what, but they can get greasy backs to the point where it looks orange (I've heard.) Indie wasn't bad at all, just oilier than normal due to decreased balance and flexability (this weeble wobbles AND falls down when trying to groom his flank region) and not having a grooming buddy. I've also read that for really greasy cases supplementing olive or flax oil helps. fwiw

[Miso Vegan]

Apparently my two's hygiene plan seems to be to just rub the oil off on their hammock. It goes from white to pink in a couple of days.

[LesMiserablesLove]

Today I came home from work and let the rats out to play. I picked up Clementine, our friendliest rat, and I was carrying her around the house for a minute before I noticed that the tip of her tail was almost severed! It had dripped blood on my hands and pants before I realized what was going on.

I couldn't bandage her up myself, and, quite scared, we took her to the vet. They fixed her up, but I was about in tears having to hold her while the vet examined her tail and bandaged it. She was screaming like crazy and clawing desperately to get away. She kept looking imploringly at me. It was so tough to hold her there!

She's fine now. It may heal, according to the vet. We isolated her because we're 99% certain that one of the other rats did it (). Have any of you ever dealt with tail injuries?

[abbicus]

Originally Posted by LesMiserablesLove

Today I came home from work and let the rats out to play. I picked up Clementine, our friendliest rat, and I was carrying her around the house for a minute before I noticed that the tip of her tail was almost severed! It had dripped blood on my hands and pants before I realized what was going on.

I couldn't bandage her up myself, and, quite scared, we took her to the vet. They fixed her up, but I was about in tears having to hold her while the vet examined her tail and bandaged it. She was screaming like crazy and clawing desperately to get away. She kept looking imploringly at me. It was so tough to hold her there!

She's fine now. It may heal, according to the vet. We isolated her because we're 99% certain that one of the other rats did it (). Have any of you ever dealt with tail injuries?

That's so horrible!!! {{Clementine}} When you say 'almost severed' was it a tail degloving (http://ratguide.com/health/wounds/degloving_injury.php) or was it an actual segment of her tail (bone and all)?

I can imagine how awful it was having to hold her there. Its hard not being able to communicate your intentions. I know you are aware you were doing the best thing for her, but it still doesn't help much when you're in the moment.

None of my rats have had a tail injury so I don't have much first had advice there. However, if it is a tail degloving, it could have happened because she got her tail stuck somewhere (a wheel? The cage if its wire?, etc.). I don't know the particular dynamics between your ratties so for all I know it could have been rat-induced, I just wanted to throw another possibility out there. Maybe that's just me hoping it wasn't another rat. When there was Rosie, Sweet Pea, and Poppy in the cage together there were some issues and injuries, so I know that sucks to deal with.


Poppy is still toughing it out. Right now she and SP are curled up together in the tent and have been like that for several hours. Poppy ate a little bit of food today-probably not enough- but hasn't improved much. I'm honestly surprised she's still hanging in there; at this point I think a lot of it is just force of will. I'm impressed with how tough she is. I guess that speaks a lot about having a positive state of mind (Not to equate rat and human psychology, just that being generally happy and un-stressed probably confers benefits to rats, too).

Lamb- your description of boy rattie grease made me happy SP is a girl rat. She has such thin hair she already has a part down her back. That plus grease and a imagine something akin to a really bad comb over.

[abbicus]

Originally Posted by Miso Vegan

Apparently my two's hygiene plan seems to be to just rub the oil off on their hammock. It goes from white to pink in a couple of days.

Haha, sounds like a plan to me!

(although a bit , what with the 'marinating' in the rubbed-off oil and such. They also like to eat their food in the litter box though, so I've given up trying to understand matters of rat hygiene. Rats and I are clearly starting from very different presuppositions regarding cleanliness. )

[LesMiserablesLove]

Hmm. I don't recall seeing protuding bone or tendon. It was sliced about a 1/4 inch from the tip, or less. How do you give rats Baytril? In their water? Food?

The vet thought the tail would either heal itself OR he would have to amputate that area if Clem picked at it and wouldn't let it heal.

I'm just glad it's over and that her tail is all wrapped up.